When a person describes something according to its reality, it is the truth. Hiding the truth and deceiving the listener is called a lie. It has been ordered to speak the truth while telling a lie has been condemned in all civilized societies and heavenly teachings.
Allah says:
وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الرُّورِ
Translation:
''And refrain from a word of falsehood.'' (Surah Al-Hajj: 30)
Allah Almighty has promised great rewards and forgiveness for truthful men and women in the Holy Quran. Truth shows the way to goodness and goodness shows the way to heaven. On one occasion, the Prophet (s) told the signs of a hypocrites and one of that was that whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. (Sahih al-Bukhari: 33)
Once a person asked the Holy Prophet , "Can a believer be miserly?" He said, "Yes, he can be." Then he asked, "Can a believer be a coward?" Allah's Messenger said, "Yes, he can be." Then he asked, "Can a believer be a liar?" He said, “No, a believer cannot be a liar." (Muwatta Imam Malik: 1630)
Lying is not only related to the language, but a healthy person making a false claim about his illness, making a fake medical certificate, making a false recommendation, lying in jest, making a false case against someone, telling a lie while selling something, falsely presenting someone, spreading falsehood through mobile or social media and all such other things are included in lying. Lying is such a bad habit that even before Islam, when people were indulged in many vices, yet they avoided lying and considered it a very bad habit. The Holy Prophet used to trade before the declaration of Prophethood. He (s) had so much integrity in business that the people of Arabia used to call him 'Sadiq' and 'Ameen'.
The people of Makkah knew that the Holy Prophet always spoke the truth, never deceived anyone and never betrayed anyone. This is the reason that when the King of Rome, Harqal, asked Abu Sufyan about the Holy Prophet whether he had ever told a lie, Abu Sufyan, who had not yet become a Muslim, despite being an enemy, said that he was always truthful.
The Ahl al-Bayt and the Companions hated lying. How much these people, who were blessed with the grace of the Holy Prophet avoided lying, it can be estimated from this saying of Hazrat Anas bin Malik :
وَاللهِ مَاكُنَّا نَكُذِبُ وَلَا نَدْرِي مَا الْكَذِبُ
Translation:
''I swear by Allah! We never lied and we didn't know what a lie was.''
Lying is the root of all evils. Some of the disadvantages of lying are as follows:
i. Allah does not accept the prayers of a liar and does not bless his sustenance.
ii. Allah does not like a liar, nor do people like him.
iii. A liar has no respect in the society.
iv. The one who tells a lie is deprived of the mercy of Allah.
v. The one who tells a lie does not have confidence in himself and he loses respect even in his own eyes.
The biggest benefit to the one who tells the truth is that he would get peace of mind. People respect him and have confidence in his words. The liar can sometimes get a temporary benefit, but the real and everlasting benefit is enjoyed only by the one who speaks truth.
We should always adopt the habit of speaking the truth specially with our parents. The children who lie to their parents, they make mistakes in their lives and bear losses. We should make this a motto of our lives that we should always speak the truth and should always support those who speak the truth.
